A Fun-Filled, Mouth-Watering Food Crawl Central Edition - SM City Marikina, SM City Masinag and SM City San Mateo

We all know how exciting it is to experience a food crawl. That excitement carries into the day and increases as we rush from one resto to another to get all the food and drinks in our tummies! That's why I gave it a go when I received an invite to join the Food Crawl Central Central Edition at SM City Marikina, SM City Masinag, and SM City San Mateo.

Let me tell you up front, I LOVED the experience and the 7 hour food frenzy! SM has everything: Singaporean food, Thai food, Vietnamese, Japanese, Filipino, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Western, Chinese cuisine and more, but what we sampled was mostly Filipino dishes because with its million years of history and culinary heritage from different countries, you can just imagine how many flavors are buried in here. There were 7 stops, each unique and tasted incredible. Seriously, there were just so many yummy dishes to try, and it's actually a fun problem to have. 

Our 8-hour food crawl started at Botejyu in SM City Marikina. Being a Japanese food lover, I wasted no time in trying out delicious selections from its extensive menu, such as: 

Grilled BBQ Pork Rib Hokkaido Style. Tender pork steak grilled then glazed in umami-flavored sauce.

Pork Tonkotsu Ramen with char siu pork.

Original Chicken Karaage. Japanese-style crispy fried chicken infused with garlic flavor.

California Roll. Sushi roll made with crab meat, avocado, cucumber, ebiko and mayonnaise. 

Prawn Tempura. Crispy prawns fried in special batter and served with tempura dipping sauce. 

BOTEJYU

Ground Floor, SM City Marikina, open daily from 10am to 10pm

Days open: Monday to Sunday

Open hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

After we all had a taste of Japanese dishes, we went straight to our next stop at Calle Reyes to take in the variety of its best-selling dishes. It is a Filipino casual dining restaurant that is famous for their Manila Barbecue specialties. 

Each bite of their barbecue  is a perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors that will make you want more. And that is why I'm coming back for more soon! 

Calle Reyes

GF, MAIN BUILDING, SM City Marikina

Days open: Monday to Sunday

Open hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Contact number: 9266448563

Our next stop was where we got to try some Korean Egg Drop sandwiches! It has Yummmmy written all over it! Sarap! And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Egg Stop, it’s that there’s a unique yet egg-citing taste in every sandwich which I really love because eggs are my favorite! Prices start at P99. ICYMI, the egg drop is a sandwich recently popularized by the K-Drama "Hospital Playlist" and it has appeared in other K-Dramas as well.

Egg Stop

SM Foodcourt, 3rd Level, SM City Marikina

Days open: Monday to Sunday

Open hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

https://www.facebook.com/EggStop.Marikina/

On to our next stop:  Auntie Anne's where we indulged in pretzels and the NEW Chocnut Pretzel Twist! It's a twisted pretzel filled with ChocNut spread & topped with crushed ChocNut. Super sarap, promise! Try it, and of course their freshly squeezed lemonade.

Auntie Anne's

2nd Floor, MAIN BUILDING, SM City Marikina

Days open: Monday to Sunday

Open hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

https://www.facebook.com/AuntieAnnesPretzelsPH

Then it’s time to sit down and  enjoy my favorite Halo-halo at Kuya J's. I really love the ube-flavored shaved ice over nata de coco, langka, and beans topped with leche flan and cornflakes. It's a can't-miss, and the perfect treat that's big enough to enjoy in small bites but small enough to cram several into your mouth at once!

Kuya J Restaurant offers great Filipino gastronomic delights, using quality and unique tasting dishes, in a homey dining experience. Their menu includes ridiculously good mamen, Beef Caldereta, Grilled Scallops, super yummy Crispy Pata, and other Filipino dishes so it’s a great place to have dinner or simply settle down and chill with friends.

Kuya J

1st Floor, SM City Masinag

Days open: Monday to Sunday

Open hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Then we went to Marison's, a Filipino restaurant where you can savour the flavorful and authentic Filipino dishes.From appetizing appetizers, heart-warming soups, healthy salads, sumptuous main courses to exciting desserts, we elevated Filipino cuisine by taking the best ingredients and improving cooking processes to the next level.  

I love Filipino food (its' my comfort food!) and that is why I can't say no to their cashew-based crispy Kare-Kare and super tasty Crispy Pata. 

Their dishes are for sharing, so if you're tired walking in the mall, grab a quick and healthy meal with your loved one at Marison's.

Marison's

Upper Ground Floor, SM City Masinag

Days open: Monday to Sunday

Open hours: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Final call for boarding: Check out SM City San Mateo's Instagram-worthy, airplane-themed restaurant, Passenger Seat, known for their boodle flight feast.   

You’ll definitely feel the airplane vibes once you step in!  The façade and interior may look expensive but the menu says otherwise. 

Food-loving travelers will surely make a detour to this resto for a boodle flight served with a huge serving of white rice. Pilipinas can serve up to six to eight foodies! Passenger Seat's got you covered, whether you're into Filipino food, pasta, cake, pizza, or sumptuous meats! Their menu offerings are named after domestic and international destinations, like Palawan, Batanes, Belgium, and Rome.  

Their crispy chicken wings are marinated in the house’s homemade buffalo sauce and butter cream sauce. Tbh, all this food – the sight and scent of it – almost overwhelmed my senses. Despite all that, make sure to leave some space for dessert!

We ended our food crawl with some sweet treats and ice cream sandwich from Passenger Seat. Make sure to try Belgium even on rainy days! I mean, how can you say no to sizzling brownies topped with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce? 

Passenger Seat

Third Floor, SM City Masinag

Days open: Monday to Sunday

Open hours: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083310289952

Overall, the super fun and mouth-watering Food Crawl was a great experience in itself that is comparable to none, and each dish lived up to my expectations! My blogger friends and I enjoyed every meal and appreciated the food. I loved every (nomnom) moment of it.

So ano na, momsh? Go na and let SM satisfy your every craving for delicious food and drinks. Don't forget to include it in your weekend plans. You're welcome. :)